


Miracles That Come In Bundles

by Mycrofts_Favorite



Series: Holmes Family Miracles [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 221B Baker Street, Children, Family, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, new additions to baker street
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-13 10:46:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2147859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mycrofts_Favorite/pseuds/Mycrofts_Favorite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This work takes place almost two years after One More Miracle, the first work in the series. Sherlock decides that he would like to start a family with John, who happily agrees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Decisions Are Made

**Author's Note:**

> The book mentioned that John is reading when Sherlock joins him in the bedroom is a novel by Mark Gatiss, the co-creator of Sherlock. It is sold on Amazon.com at this address: http://goo.gl/tdLCqB

It was ten o'clock in the evening when John and I got home. I was sure he was exhausted, having worked all day at the clinic, and then being picked up straight away afterwards to help me catch a killer. My husband gave me a quick kiss before announcing that he was going to go to sleep, confirming my observations. I called to him that I'd be there in just a minute after I sent a text. He had a rule about cellphones in the bedroom. I hit send on the message and kicked off my shoes, then walked in long strides to the bedroom. John was sitting propped up against the headboard with a book, something called Doctor Who: Last of the Gaderene, and was intently looking at the pages. This was one of my favorite things to watch John do was read. He always had this intense look about him, so focused and undisturbed. It was amazing to watch his face change from frustrated to worried, and then directly to purely elated with the characters and how the plot was going. The only light on in the room was the lamp on his night stand, so it was dim, but it was a warm dim and that's what I liked.

I slipped into a set of pajamas and clambered into bed with my husband. He sensed the movement of the matress and looked up from his book, eyes bright, but filled with sleep. "Hello, honey," he said sweetly, gently pushing a marker into his book and placing it on the table. He pulled the chord to turn off the light and we cuddled up to eachother, but I knew it'd be a while before he'd be able to fall asleep. According to the summary I'd read one day, this book was promised to have lots of action, so no doubt John would be up on a bit of an adrenaline high for a while.

"John," I began, gently stroking his hair. "Have you ever thought about having children? Starting a family," He tensed up a little, probably surprised at my question.

"I didn't realize you had," he said.

"I have, but you're the only person I'd want to raise them with." He looked up at me from where he was positioned against my chest and smiled. "O-of course, though, I'd only want to start a family if you were completely comfortable with it…" He moved so that we were directly eye-to-eye.

"Sherlock Holmes, it would be an honor to start a family with you." I smiled and couldn't help but kiss him at his last remark. We both smiled into the kiss before gently pulling apart. "You have to promise me something, though," He said. I gave him a look as if to say 'anything, whatever you need,' "You have to promise me that I can get rid of your secret stash of drugs, with the insurance that it will not be restocked. Okay?" I nodded.

"I can still have my nicotine patches, right? Or a box of cigarettes?" He seemed to consider this.

"The patches can stay. It would be mean of me to make you go cold turkey on everything." I heaved a sigh of relief. "One thing, would we adopt, or we could do surrogacy. It's up to you," he said.

"Surrogacy. I want this child to be ours," I answered, barely giving him time to finish. He smiled at me. We laid there talking about this for a little while, but at around midnight, John drifted off to sleep. I was awake for mere minutes after him, before following him into slumber.


	2. You Must Pick Someone

I sipped at my tea while John and I interviewed yet another woman to be our surrogate. This one's name was Mary Morstan, and apparently she worked with John at the clinic. She was a nice enough woman, but something about her just didn't seem right. It was anyone's guess what it was, but there was just something.

About fifteen minutes later, her interview was over and she walked confidently out of our flat. As soon as the door was closed behind her, I began speaking. "She's a no." I said flatly to my husband.

"How come? You've said the exact thing about every single woman." It was true, we'd been interviewing women for several days since we decided we wanted a family.

"I don't know, there's just something about her that's off. I mean, she's nice enough, and quite intelligent, but there's just something that doesn't feel right. You know?" John nodded.

"Do you have any ideas? So far neither of us can agree on anybody," he asked. I thought for a moment before having an idea.

"Molly Hooper. She's smart, nice, and quite beautiful. She would be quite an ideal mother for our child." I looked at John for approval on my decision. He looked as if he was weighing out pros and cons, but then looked up at me.

"Alright," he said. "We can go ask, but be prepared for an answer besides yes, okay sweetie?" I nodded in response and went to put on my coat and scarf. John slid his on, and off we went to St. Bart's.

I walked into the hospital, boldly as always and followed by John, and headed directly for the lab. With long brisk strides, I burst through the double doors, and possibly startled Molly, who was the only one there. "Oh, hello, Sherlock, John. I wasn't expecting to see you. What a lovely surprise!" She gave us a pleasant smile.

"Hello, Molly," John replied to her. The three of us sat on stools facing eachother.

"So, what'd you guys need?" Molly asked, breaking a short awkward silence that was bestowed upon us.

"You are an ideal woman to preform as a surrogate mother for our children." I stated bluntly. John flashed me a look that said to ask nicer, but then started talking.

"What Sherlock is trying to say," John began, "was that we'd like for you to be a surrogate mother for our children. There's no rush in this decision, it's obviously a huge commitment to give nine months of your life just so that we can have children, but it'd mean a great deal to us. But say, if you could make a decision by next Wednesday?" She thought about it for a second and nodded.

"Yeah, we can meet up on Wednesday," she said. I smiled at her, and so did John.

"Excellent. You are quite intelligent, kind, and you are very aesthetically pleasing. These are all amazing traits which are quite important to me." I said. She grinned.

"Thank you, well, I best be getting back to work." John nodded and bid her goodbye as I strutted out of the lab. I heard him following, and I smiled grinned. John followed me out to the curb and I hailed a cab, deeming that it was too cold for me to bother walking home.

"Sherlock, I hope you know it's a good thing I love you," he said once caught up to me. I smiled and climbed into the cab, once again followed by my husband. Once the two of us were seated and the car was moving homeward, I placed a kiss on his lips completely unannounced. He was surprised at first, but then eased into it slowly. Our lips stayed connected until we got home. John paid the cabby and we slid out of the car to go inside to our flat. "What was that for," he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Good luck," I said, shaking off my coat and pulling off my scarf.

"Oh, so I'm your good luck charm now?" He asked.

"No, but I happen to know that I'm yours, and I also happen to know that you want this just as badly as me." He was grinning at me.

"You're a real weirdo, Sherlock. Ya know that, right?"

"Yes, obviously. But I'm your weirdo." I grinned back at him and wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him tightly to me.

"Obviously," he chuckled and wrapped his arms around my neck. I leaned my forehead against his and looked into his eyes, placing another kiss on his lips. This time it was slow and gentle, as loving as the previous one was passionate. Our lips disconnected, but we stayed there, lingering in the moment for a while. "I love you," John whispered before dropping his arms from where they'd been oh so comfortably wrapped around my neck.

"Where are you going?" I asked as he walked toward the kitchen.

"I'm starving, it's nearly seven o'clock. Well past supper time." He disappeared into the kitchen and I heard him rustling about with pots and pans and things.


	3. Meeting The Parents

It was Wednesday afternoon and I was sitting in the living room on the couch, and Molly sat across from me in my armchair, which was sagging rom years of use and abuse, but hardly moved under her petite figure. John returned from the kitchen carrying a tray which held three teacups, a sugar dish, a small thing of cream, and a pot of tea from the set Mrs. Hudson had gifted us for our wedding. He set it on the table, the only thing separating me and my husband from our dearest friend. We each readied our own cup and sat back down in our seats. I could tell that John was nervous, because he was sitting almost on my lap, his hand clamped as tightly as he could muster around my larger one.

"Alright," Molly broke the tense silence. "Well, first of all, I want you both to know that I've thought very long and very hard about this. You are both my best friends, and I love you both very dearly." John and I were on the edge of our seats. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing and just wanted her to get on with it. "So that's why I will accept the request for me to be the surrogate for this child, and any after." All three of us were smiling brightly. We stood up and John and I hugged her, thanking her endlessly. I couldn't help but give her a kiss on the cheek. This was one of the best moments of my life. Molly checked her watch and said she had to go, that her lunch break was almost up and she had to perform an autopsy, and then left.

John and I stood in the living room together. I grasped his face in both of my hands and pressed my lips to his. "We are going to be fathers." I said, still not believing the fact after my lips separated from his. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close to me, giving him a tight hug.

"Yeah," he said proudly, just above a whisper. "We are, aren't we. You, me, and that perfect little child. I hope they have your eyes." He smiled, his face brightening. It reminded me of our wedding day, the way he was smiling. Overflowing joy, and pride.

I smiled back at him. "We're a family now." The two of us stood there together, relishing in the moment of being able to start a family. I wouldn't risk spoiling the moment, so I let it live itself out. Once it ran dry, John and I moved to the couch with the rest of the pot of tea, which had definitely cooled down, and began discussing minor details. We talked about who was going to be the "real" father, and the godparents and other things of the sort. Our final decision was that we'd both contribute a semen sample so that we wouldn't know who the biological father was. I objected, saying that it may be quite obvious, but John insisted. The biggest reasons that I agreed was to prove myself right, but also because it made John happy and John was always so goddamned cute when he was happy.

That night, I decided to take John out to supper. It had been a few weeks since we'd one on a date, what with all of the cases of recent, but we had tonight off and I fully intended to take advantage of our evening.

After John and I were both ready, I grabbed him by the hand and we began walking to Angelo's. Once we got there, we sat down at our normal table, the same one as we sat at on our first case together before we started dating. Angelo himself came out, as usual, bearing a candle and a bottle of some of his best wine. "On the house," he said about the wine, a courtesy we'd become accustomed to over the years. He took our orders, and I received an odd look from both my husband and friend when I ordered the linguini, as I usually didn't eat whenever we went out. Angelo took our orders and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Wow," John mused. "I can't remember the last time you took me out and had something to eat as well." He was smiling. "It's a nice change, I could get used to this." A server, who wasn't Angelo, brought our food to us. We thanked her and she left us to eat.

"To family," John toasted, raising his wine glass. I touched mine to his, agreeing, and we each sipped at the sweet tasting liquid. I tasted my pasta, which was absolutely amazing, and fed John a bite, and he agreed with me. We talked happily for a few hours as we ate, and shared a large slice of a very rich chocolate cake. We finished, and although Angelo insisted our meals were free, John left a 50 pound note on the table as we left.

"This is one of the best days I've ever had," I said as we walked hand in hand back to our flat.

"Me too, my dear. I'm so excited."


	4. It's a-

"Sherlock, hurry up! We can't be late for the appointment," John rushed me. We were meeting Molly over at St. Bart's for her 3 month ultra sound.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I slid on my shoes and hopped out the door after my husband. We went downstairs, shouting a hurried goodbye to Mrs. Hudson, She replied, shouting good luck as we hurried out to the street to hail a cab. One was hailed and we quickly slipping into the back.

"St. Bart's," John had said, his rear had hardly touched the seat. "And hurry." The driver pulled off the curb and began driving. It was less than a five minute ride, and we took it in silence, not knowing what to say in all of the excitement. The doctor would give us our due date today, and weather we'd have a little boy or a little girl.

The cabbie pulled up in front of the medical center and John paid the correct amount, and we got out of the car. We walked speedily inside as the slick black vehicle pulled away and off into the traffic filled city. I held John's hand tightly as we walked in, suddenly hit with a wave of nerves. As soon as we arrived at the lobby for the Ob/Gyn, we saw Molly sitting there quietly reading a magazine. She saw us and smiled, standing up and coming over to hug us each. I noticed that she was starting to show a little bit, although unless you knew she was pregnant, you'd think she just ate a large meal. "How are you feeling?" I asked her as we sat down.

"Oh, I'm holding up. No more morning sickness, thankfully." She smiled, definitely having gained a special glow to her. Just then, a nurse came out from a door. "Molly?" she asked into the room where there were three other couples. The three of us stood up and followed the nurse. "Hi, Molly," she said once we were in a room. "You must be,"

"The fathers. I'm John and this is my husband Sherlock." John introduced s both. We shook her hand.

"Well, I'm Amanda. The doctor will be in momentarily." She told Molly just to lay on the bed and the doctor would arrive shortly.

The nurse left the room and closed the door behind her. "Six months to go," Molly said with her exhale, following the nurse's instructions. We were all too excited to hold an actual conversation. Thankfully, we only had to wait a few minutes before the doctor arrived. She introduced herself as Doctor Jensen, and once again, John introduced the both of us.

"Well," said the doctor, "I'm sure you're plenty excited. Let's get started. Have we decided if you'd like to learn the gender?"

The three of us exchanged glances before I replied, "Yes." She smiled and sat down on her wheeled stool and went over to sit by the bed. I strode over to stand on the opposite side of Molly just before Doctor Jensen warned her that it would be cold. I offered my hand, and Molly gave a rather tight squeeze of shock as the doctor squirted some cool gel onto her belly.

"Oh, excellent," the doctor remarked, moving the instrument around. John had come to stand by me and watch the screen. His eyes filled with joy at the sight, having learned how to read an ultrasound in medical school. I, however, waited for Dr. Jensen, as reading an ultrasound had not been added into my mind palace. "Well, you have a perfectly healthy baby. My knowledge sets the due date at May 30." I smiled brightly.

"She? We're going to have a little girl?" The doctor replied with a smile and a nod of her head. She cleaned Molly up a bit, before leaving and giving us a moment. "Merveille." I said. "That's what I want her to be called. It's French meaning miracle." John smiled and nodded.

"Molly," John said. "Merveille Molly Holmes-Watson. Our little girl." Once our dear friend and our daughter's namesake was sitting up, we both enveloped her in a hug.

"Thank you," I said. I didn't say it much, but I felt it was appropriate. Molly was giving us the ability to start a family. She was bringing our daughter into this world. I would never be able to thank her enough.


	5. Merveille Molly Holmes-Watson

It was three in the morning, Thursday, May 16, 2019 when it happened. We had invited Molly to stay at our flat since she'd begun having contractions. They were few and far apart, but a contraction is a contraction and that meant she was getting closer to delivering. I was sitting at the computer in the living room, unable to sleep, and John was passed out on the couch so we could give Molly the bedroom. I heard a cry come from where Molly was, and my first instinct was to jolt to her. "Molly, are you alright?" Her eyes were closed and she was sitting up, leaning her head against the wall behind the bed. I immediately recognized what was happening and rushed to her side. "Remember, breathe," I instructed. She did so, following my example.

"Get John," she said once the pain had subsided. Molly sat all the way up and tried to stand, before giving up. "My slippers?" she asked, pointing to them next to the side table. I handed them to her.

"Is it time?" I asked. She nodded, grabbing my hand, obviously feeling another contraction coming. "JOHN!" I shouted into the living room, my hand still on my friend's back. The pain retreated once more and I helped her to stand, keeping one hand on her back and letting her clutch the other as we walked. "John, get up! Get your shoes on, we need to get to the hospital!" My husband awoke with a start, realizing the situation, and grabbed his shoes and mobile. We walked down the stairs, John leading and I taking up the rear, and out to the curb. There were only a few cabs dotting the streets at this time of night, but we successfully hailed one over and got in. "St. Bart's," I said. The man driving realized that Molly was going into labor and went as quickly as possible. Minutes later, we pulled up to the hospital. We thanked the cabbie, who'd insisted that our ride was free, and rushed inside.

When we got inside, a wheelchair was brought out for Molly to sit in. We followed the nurse pushing the chair to a room, and our dear friend was transferred to the table. "What luck," said the nurse, "Dr. Jensen is on call tonight." She smiled, and left us to help Molly to change out of her nightdress and into the hospital gown. John stood by her side as she was thrust into another contraction. I grabbed John's mobile from his jacket pocket and stepped over to the side. I sent out one mass text to my brother, Greg, Mrs. Hudson, my parents, and John's parents that said, Come to St. Bart's as immediately as possible, Molly has gone into labor. SH I walked back over to John and Molly and slid my husband's phone back into his pocket.

The doctor arrived and helped out, which was greatly appreciated as John's primitive knowledge of what to do in our situation was limited and dusty. About 20 minutes after the arrival of Dr. Jensen, my husband needed to go sit down. I took his position, providing my hand for Molly to squeeze as she suffered through labor. In total, she was in labor for an hour and a half before the doctor announced that it was time to push. John stood on one side of her, and I on the other as she was instructed to push, keep pushing, push. Molly screamed in agony, I almost thought it would be too much for her, until Dr. Jensen said, "Oh, here she comes! I can see the top of her head!" Our friend pushed three more times before Merveille's head and shoulders came through, and the rest of her slid right out afterwards. We had agreed that John would be the one to cut her umbilical chord, and he did just that, right where the doctor instructed him.

"Congratulations!" Dr. Jensen said to us. She took our daughter and weighed and measured her. "6 pounds, 9 ounces, and 16 inches." She wrapped her up in a blanket and handed her to me. She was so adorable and tiny. Absolutely magnificent.

"Hello, Merveille. It's nice to meet you, I'm your daddy." She had begun to quiet down by the time she was in my arms, and she grabbed onto my finger. "And this is papa. And there's your aunty Molly." I was grinning ear to ear as I handed her to my husband. I stood next to him, my arm around his waist. Molly smiled at us, obviously eager to be done with pregnancy. He held her for a bit, but then John handed her to our friend.

"Hey, little girl. I'm your aunty Molly. I am going to spoil you rotten," Molly said. I smiled and gave a little bit of a giggle. Once she was back in my arms, I carried her out of the room to where our family and friends sat waiting.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you Miss Merveille Molly Holmes-Watson. She is 16 inches long and weighs 6 pounds, 9 ounces." Everybody gathered closer to try and see her, and I did my best to show her off. John came and joined me with our friends and family, whispering in my ear that Molly had fallen asleep. Mer had fallen asleep in my arms, and I heard her breathing quietly. My little girl, my little miracle.


	6. Welcome Home, Tiny Thing

My husband and I decided to spend the night in the hospital with our daughter and Molly. I, of course, failed to be able to sleep once again, this time cradling Merveille instead of tapping at the cold, plastic keys on a keyboard. John awoke at around five, although both were still a little groggy. Merveille was sound asleep, wrapped snugly in a pink and white gingham patterned blanket and a little grin was shown on her tiny pink lips. "Good morning, honey," I said when John sat up straight from where he was sleeping in a chair.

"Hello, sweethearts," he smiled and stood up, coming over to where I sat holding Mer in a small window seat. "May I?" he asked, holding out his arms as a gesture he'd like to hold our little girl. I handed her to him and he smiled lovingly down at her. They were my family, my perfect, little family. I stood up to give my husband the window seat, which was probably much more comfortable than the stiff chair.

"Shall I go get tea?" I asked him.

"That'd be lovely, thank you," he replied. I left the room, noting which one we were in, and walked down the hallway to the lift. I pressed the button and waited patiently. The doors opened and I stepped in. I pressed the button for the main floor and stood in the silent box as it carried me down several stories. Once it had opened once more, I stepped out and into a lobby, nearly empty with the exception of a few solo wanderers.

I quickly strode through the large doors and out into the warmish May morning. It was a gorgeous day, so I decided to walk instead of summoning a taxi. Before getting tea for Molly, my husband, and I, I wanted to get something. I walked along the street for about 5 minutes before noticing a little shop called Magnolia's Gift Shop. The sign hanging on the door told me it was open, which was lucky as it was 5:30 in the morning. I walked in, pausing for a moment when I was hit by an intense smell of floral scented candles. "Good morning," a woman dressed in a pink floral sundress said brightly to me. "I'm Katie, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, my partner's and my daughter was born last night and I want to get her something, but I have no clue what," She smiled.

"Well, we don't have much in the way of baby gifts, but we do have these," Katie showed me over to a little section of the store with a collection of different bears on display. There were fancy multicolored ones, classic ones and ones wearing little costumes. The one that caught my eye especially was a little ebony colored bear with a cape, hat, and a magnifying glass. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands a few times.

"This is it," I said. The woman smiled and led me to the cash register. I paid and thanked her before slipping the toy into the pocket of my Belstaff and exiting the building. There was a coffee shop next door so I stopped in. I ordered three teas, one regular, one with sugar, and one with milk and sugar. The barista gave me a drink carrier after I'd paid, and I carried them back to the hospital.

The lobby that was nearly deserted when I went out was starting to perk up a bit as I walked through to the lift. It was already waiting for me when I pressed the button and I stepped right in. I hit the button for the floor we were on and stood holding the beverages in my hands as it rose higher. Finally, the lift doors opened and I walked through the hospital back to where my family was. I slowly opened the door to see Molly awake and chatting with John while he held the baby. "I'm back," I said softly as I walked in. My friend and husband both looked up from their conversation. "Let's see here, one earl grey, regular," I handed John's tea to him, "And one earl grey with just sugar." I handed Molly's to her and sat down in the chair with mine. "Oh, and I almost forgot," I sat my beverage down on the table next to the bed where Molly was and stood up, drawing the bear from my pocket.

"Look what Daddy got you!" John said to Merveille as I retrieved her from his arms and held it so she could see it. A small smile formed on her face and she reached her arms up to try grabbing at it. Her fingers were long and thin, her nails were smaller than pinheads. The four of us stayed in the room for another couple hours before Molly felt strong enough to be able to leave. A nurse came in and helped her into a wheelchair after she'd changed and we left the hospital to go home.

When John and I arrived at home with our daughter, we were met by the tantalizing scent of Mrs. Hudson baking in her kitchen. John went upstairs, but I took Marvel and knocked on the door to Mrs. Hudson's flat. She called out for me to enter. "Mrs. Hudson, we're home," I said as I entered, the aroma of fresh baked croissants growing stronger. I heard her quickly make her way to where I was so she could greet me.

"Sherlock," she said happily. "And this must be little Merveille," I handed the baby to her. "Welcome home, you tiny thing. I'm your Nana Hudson, whenever your fathers get on your nerves, I'm always just a flight of stairs away." Mrs. Hudson gazed lovingly at my daughter. "She looks like you, Sherlock, her eyes are just the same." She handed my daughter back to me, promising to bring up lunch when it was ready as I left and walked upstairs to our flat.


	7. A Day With Merveille

"Sherlock, sweetie, I've gotta go to work. I love you, sweetheart," he gave Merveille a kiss on the forehead and left a little peck on my lips before grabbing his bag and turning to walk out the door. "I'll see you this afternoon babe, be safe!" He left and closed the door behind him, scurrying down the stairs and leaving me alone with our daughter. I looked down at the one week old, still dressed in her pajamas, and smiled. She was one of the best things that had ever happened to me.

"So, what shall we do today?" I asked her even though she couldn't reply. "How about a walk, that would be fun. Stimulate your eyes, show you off to the world, yeah?" She smiled. I took her and changed her into a cute little pink dress with ruffles and a matching beanie. "C'mon, let's go," I picked her up and carried her downstairs where a white pram was parked just inside the door. "Mrs. Hudson, we're going out!" I shouted so she wouldn't worry.

I strolled outside, pushing the pram in front of me, and couldn't help but smile. John wasn't able to get paternity leave, so I'd been spending a lot of time with our daughter. This had become our morning routine. Every morning after John would leave, I would get her dressed and we would go on a long walk around London. We met lots of people who always commented on how beautiful she was, and they were always right. She was the most beautiful girl in the entire world. Today I took her and we walked down and around Big Ben. It was quite a walk, but I loved spending time with her. After a while, I checked the time to see that it was almost my husband's lunch break. "Do you wanna help me surprise papa?" I asked Merveille. She was asleep and snoring quietly, I couldn't help but take a picture. I texted it to John, captioning it She misses papa so much she fell asleep.

We walked to a flower shop and I picked up a small bouquet of roses to take to John, and then we went to a carry out place that John liked and I ordered him his favorite, beer battered fish and chips. I put the boxed food on the shelf of the pram next to the baby bag, and pushed it to the clinic where John was.

It was a ways, but I enjoyed spending time with my daughter. We arrived and a blonde woman, Mary, was sitting at the desk. She recognized me and smiled, "Dr. Watson is in his office, sir," I thanked her and walked back through a hallway, still pushing the pram. I knocked on the door and walked in, seeing my husband sitting at his desk poring over some paperwork.

"Sherlock, what are you doing here?" He stood up, smiling, and wrapped his arms around my neck.

"Mer wanted to buy you lunch, and I got you these," I handed him the bouquet of bright red flowers.

"Sherlock, these are beautiful," he wrapped his arms back around my neck and gave me a kiss. Once our lips disconnected, I handed him his lunch and he smiled. "You really didn't have to," he said.

"Yes I did, you usually don't have time to go get yourself some, so we did." He smiled at me, placed the box on his desk, and walked over to the pram and picked up the little girl inside.

"Hey, sweetie, have you been keeping a good eye on your daddy?" He have her a little tickle on the belly and she giggled. Merveille and I stayed and talked with John while he ate, which didn't take too long. He checked his watch, "Oh, I've gotta get back to work, I have another patient in about 15 minutes. I'll be home around five, okay?"

"Yep, don't forget, we're going to Greg and Mycroft's engagement party tonight, the car will be at our flat around seven, alright?" He nodded and I gave him a quick kiss before pushing the pram out which once again held our daughter. I said goodbye to Mary as we walked out and then went home.

We just arrived home, and Mer began crying. "What's wrong, honey, hm?" I asked her. "Are you hungry? Yeah? C'mon, let's go get you a bottle." I picked her up out of the pram and cradled her in my arms as we walked upstairs. We already had a few bottles of formula already made up and in the fridge, so all I needed to do was heat it up a little bit. Once it was warm, I fed her the bottle and she drank it happily, reaching up and grabbing at the bottle with her tiny hands. I smiled and kept her head rested securely in the crook of my elbow while she ate. She finished the bottle and I burped her, then she fell asleep almost immediately. I gently carried her to a small cradle we'd set up in the living room and laid her on her back for her nap, lingering for a while to observe the way she moved her arms as she dreamt. After a while, I sat down at the desk and scrolled through the internet, looking at studies about the best way to educate your child from infanthood, which had become my favorite point of research. John kept my lab equipment under lock and key during the day as a preventative for me attempting to discover the biological father of our child, but her eyes were so like mine and her mannerisms and bone structure so much like Mycroft's, that it was obvious that she was mine. 

Apparently I had been online for hours, because I was tuned in enough to my research that the first thing I heard was John from the doorway, "I'm home!" I shushed him as I stood up and walked over to where he was standing, telling him that Merveille was asleep still. I gave him a kiss and he spoke once more, "What are our dinner plans," he asked me.

"Greg and my brother's engagement party is tonight, the car will be here to pick us up in about two hours, sound doable?" He nodded and hung his bag on the coat stand, shedding his jacket and hanging that neatly on top.

He walked over to the cradle and picked up the now awakened baby inside. "Hello, sweet thing! Did you keep an eye on your daddy today?" She gave him an open mouthed smile and cooed. "I missed you, too." He hugged our little girl to his chest. I smiled and went to make John and I a pot of tea. As soon as I reached the kitchen, I heard a wail come from behind me. I grinned evilly, knowing well what had happened, and continued on to make the tea. John spoke to her as he changed her diaper and I winced at the smell as he carried the soiled one to throw away in the bathroom.

"Here, hon," I handed John a mug of tea when he sat down on the sofa with his book, intending to read a little before we had to get ready to go. "How was work today? You feel tense," I sat down next to him and turned him so his back was to me and began to rub his shoulders.

"It was alright, lots of appointments nearly stacked right on top of one another. The board might be bringing on someone else to take some appointments, which would be great, but it's still a lot of work." I sat and listened to John talk about his day, muscles relaxing under my hands. He talked about budget cuts, I made myself a note to call my brother to find out if there was anything that could be done to prevent them. "Oh," John said, "I got a flyer mailed to my office today. It was about an advertisement for retirement homes. I'm only 43, and I'm getting advertised to about retiring."

"Honey, it's a mailing list, everybody gets them. I promise." I pressed kisses to the back of Johns neck as I comforted him. He was so sensitive about his age and I never knew why, but it was my job to build him back up.

"I know, but it still makes me feel old…"

"John, you're not old. And even if you were I would still love you. You're beautiful and vibrant and active. You're perfect to me. Such an amazing dad, a brilliant husband, and there's nothing that's going to change that. I promise." I moved my hands from my husband's shoulders to wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in the crook of his neck.

"Sherlock, I love you," he said, turning his head and placing a kiss on top of my head. I looked at the clock on the wall, realizing that we'd been talking longer than we thought and that we needed to go get ready for the party. John put on a blue suit that had been tailored to fit him snugly, but it looked amazing on him. My suit was black and hung a bit loose, but it was comfortable despite looking a bit rumpled around the ankles. For Merveille, we picked out a green dress with a matching tutu and a little pair of patent leather shoes. The three of us finished getting ready to go just as a car pulled up out front of the flat. I carried our daughter and followed John down the stairs and out onto the pavement. A man got out of the front seat and opened the door for us and we slid in. 

The ride felt shorter than usual, but it was pleasant. It was always different to ride in the expensive cars Mycroft always sent to pick us up, much like the ones the two of us grew up riding in, instead of the taxis we usually took. We arrived at the Manor shortly and got out of the car after the driver once again got out and opened the door for us. I held Merveille on my left hip and held John's hand with my free one as we walked up to the doors and entered. It always felt odd coming back to my childhood home in all of it's grandeur. I much preferred the middle-class style of life I now led, even though I had a bank account which would allow for much more. I led my husband to the parlor where the party was to be held. Greg and Mycroft were, of course, already there, along with a few government officials, some people I knew from the Yard, and my parents. Greg noticed us walk in and came over to greet us. "Hey, mates! Glad you could make it," he said happily. Mer smiled at her uncle Greg and he smiled back.

John and Greg got into a deep conversation and I realized my parents had noticed our arrival. I winced a little before doing what John would've wanted me to do and went over and said hi. "Sherlock, hello! How's little Merveille?" I was glad she seemed more interested in the little girl at my hip than me.

"Oh, fine. She's a little handful, but it's worth it." My mum smiled.

"It always was for me. You and your brother were both handfuls," She dredged into a story about how I once ran away from her at a shop and convinced a complete stranger to buy me some sort of candy bar or small trinket or whatever, but I was too incredibly bored to listen. I hated high-class events like this, especially when I didn't know or couldn't tolerate anyone.

Eventually it was supper time and I sat next to John with Merveille's highchair positioned on his other side. We were served decadent trout seasoned with fresh herbs and a rich chocolate mousse for dessert. I was quite glad when supper was over, though, because I was able to make the excuse that it was time to take our little angel home and put her to bed. The same car took us back to 221b that brought us here and John thanked the driver as we got out.

"That was absolute torture, don't let me agree to attend any more of Mycroft's parties, I never know anyone there," I said when we got inside our home.

Merveille was already asleep so I gently carried her upstairs, hollering to John that I'd be back downstairs in just a moment. I changed my daughter into her pajamas and laid her in bed, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead before leaving to go spend some time with my husband. I jogged back down the stairs and walked into the living room where John was sitting in his chair shirtless and in his sweatpants, watching telly. I snuck into the bedroom and quickly changed into my pajamas before going back out and curling up in John's lap and giving him a sweet kiss on the mouth. He was surprised at first, but then eased into the kiss. We disconnected and I pressed my lips to his scar which stood pink on his toned and slightly tanned chest. "You feel cold, are you alright?" He asked me, his voice replacing the love filled silence of the room.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired I guess," a jokingly shocked look took over his face.

"Sherlock Holmes, tired," He laughed and I playfully hit his arm.

"Shut up, you. Everyone gets tired,"

"I know, but you're cute when you blush." I smiled. "And in my defense, you haven't even come to bed in days and it gets cold in there."

"You should have told me, I would've gladly brought my case files in an-" He cut me off with a kiss.

"Nevermind…" he pouted a little bit.

"Oh, OH," I realized what he was saying and he smirked. "Shall we?" I stood up and offered my hand to him, leading him towards the bedroom.


End file.
